By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigeria’s fourth mobile network operator, 9mobile, continues to suffer a sharp decline in its subscriber base, with 6,079 customers porting out of its network between November and December 2024, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The NCC disclosed this in its Incoming and Outgoing Porting Activities of Mobile Network Operators report, published on its website.
Mass Exodus from 9mobile
The report revealed that in December 2024 alone, 2,188 subscribers left 9mobile for rival networks out of a total of 2,998 porting activities recorded. A month earlier, in November, 3,891 subscribers exited the network, accounting for the largest outgoing porting loss among operators.
The data highlighted that other telecom providers saw significantly lower porting-out figures:
MTN lost 236 subscribers in December and 166 in November.
Airtel recorded 269 outgoing porting in December and 362 in November.
Globacom saw 305 subscribers leave in December and 307 in November.
9mobile Struggles to Attract New Users
While 9mobile recorded the highest outgoing porting numbers, it struggled to attract new subscribers. In December, the operator gained only 17 incoming users, a sharp contrast to its competitors:
MTN led the sector with 1,856 incoming porting activities.
Airtel gained 835 new subscribers.
Globacom added 290 customers.
A similar pattern was observed in November 2024, where 9mobile acquired just 27 new users, while MTN gained 3,019, Airtel attracted 1,266, and Globacom welcomed 414 subscribers.
Market Share Decline
The decline in subscribers has significantly impacted 9mobile’s market share, which dropped to 1.9% in December 2024, according to NCC data. This is a stark contrast to the company’s peak in 2015 when it boasted 23.4 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.
9mobile’s stagnant subscriber base of 3.2 million for two consecutive months further underscores the operator’s struggles in a highly competitive industry.
Competitors Record Strong Growth
While 9mobile faced setbacks, its competitors experienced notable expansion:
MTN Nigeria solidified its dominance, increasing its market share to 51% with 84.6 million subscribers in December, up from 81.2 million in November.
Airtel Nigeria grew its subscriber base to 56.6 million in December, compared to 55.4 million the previous month.
Globacom, which had faced a subscriber decline earlier in the year due to regulatory audits, rebounded from 19.6 million to 20.1 million subscribers by year-end.
With the telecommunications market becoming increasingly competitive, 9mobile faces mounting pressure to reverse its declining fortunes and regain consumer confidence.
